The present invention relates to an improved mounting device for a power source such as a motor and a speed control device such as a gear reducer or the like.
Many different arrangements have heretofore been employed for mounting of drive motors and gear reducers for operative connection to industrial equipment to be driven thereby. Such prior arrangements, however, have been fraught with numerous problems exemplified by initial alignment of the motor or other power source with respect to the reducer or other speed control device, damage to alignment when the units are located on site resulting from contact by mechanized equipment in the area, undue damage to the components resulting from vibration, and the like. Particularly, vibrations induced during operation can lead to serious problems, creating stress on the components which could lead to fatigue and/or failure of bearings or other damage to either the motor or the reducer.
One conventional commercial arrangement combines an electric motor and a gear reducer, and for the most part is relatively simple. For example, motors and thus associated reducers have been located on separate mounting pad which are fastly secured to the floor or some other support surface. Such an arrangement is not only more time consuming during installation, but also dictates the need of adequate support area to receive both the motor and the reducer.
In another prior structure, the motor, for example, is mounted directly to the reducer housing, with the reducer directly supporting the motor. In some environs, the location where the motor and gear reducers are to be mounted is adequate for receipt of both. Hence, in a further prior mounting arrangement, referred to as a "scoop mount", brackets are secured to the reducer housing and extend outwardly therefrom, with the motor secured to the brackets and thus cantilevered from the gear reducer.
In instances where the motor is directly secured to the reducer housing or to the scoop mounting brackets, vibrations may be induced during operating times. In such arrangements, particularly in larger reducer-motor combinations, the resonant frequency of the motor/reducer combination may lie within the normal operating speed of the motor, and, if reached, the motor bearings will be destroyed. Such resonant frequency problems can sometimes be overcome by including angled stiffeners to the scoop mounting brackets when small reducer-motors are employed. When, however, larger units are present, the stiffness of the gear box is low enough that no matter how much the scoop is stiffened, damage may still result.
Also, during continuous and long term operation of a motor and gear reduction combination, stress may be produced by vibrations which though short cf the resonant frequency, may adversely affect the motor bearings, or the motor mounting structure, eventually leading to fatigue failure.
Prior art mounting devices and arrangements such as those enumerated above are all subject to conditions which can lead to problems exemplified by bearing failure, cracking of housings, oil leakage, undue wear and deterioration of seals, gaskets, and the like.
With a mounting arrangement according to the present invention, however, the problems noted above are either not present or are significantly reduced, and there is no known prior art that is believed to anticipate or suggest the present invention.